


All in the Cards

by Cybra



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 11:53:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16660681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cybra/pseuds/Cybra
Summary: A deck of ancient, well-worn index cards is a funny way to deliver the pink slip Gyro's expecting.





	All in the Cards

**Author's Note:**

> I love science son and wanted to write something for him and Scrooge because I thought it’d be cute. Set during the ten-year gap between Della’s disappearance and the pilot episode.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** _Ducktales_ belongs to the Walt Disney Company.

“Thank you, Gyro.  You can go but meet me in my office in an hour.”

The old man’s face was as neutral as a stone, and Gyro wished he could’ve shoved the words he’d shouted at the board of directors back into his mouth and then taped his beak shut to keep them there.

He slunk out of the conference room, mumbling an apology to Mr. McDuck (though not the buzzards since his pride would never let him hear the end of it).  Then there was nothing to do for an hour except start packing up his personal items.

He was going to be fired, after all.

It always went like this:  He’d prove himself to some company, have a few successes, and then he’d shove his foot down his throat which would end in termination.  He wasn’t like that idiot Mark Beaks who had high charisma but middling technological skill; he was a genius inventor with plenty of successful creations, but he just couldn’t get the trick of talking to people.  Being out of sight and away from most people in the underwater lab had given him hope that he would finally be able to settle in somewhere.

Five minutes before the deadline, Gyro got into the elevator, cast one last longing look back at what had been his desk, and pressed the button for the top floor, Mr. McDuck’s office.

Sadly, the elevator didn’t suffer a critical failure, and he reached his destination right on time.  The scientist plodded into the office, head down.

“You wanted to see me, sir.”  It wasn’t a question because he already knew what he was here for.

Mr. McDuck took his time in answering, frowning as he shuffled through a deck of ancient, well-worn index cards.  Then he finally nodded in satisfaction, looking up at Gyro and holding out the cards to him.  “I think you should keep these on hand for the future, lad.”

Funny way to deliver a pink slip.  However, he took the cards and looked down to read them.  He blinked.

At the top of the first card was the title “Introduction for Business”.  The rest of it, written very carefully so that they’d be easily legible in most circumstances, was a message that had the old man’s name scratched out and his own written above it:

_Hello, sir/madam.  I’m ~~Scrooge McDuck~~ Dr. Gyro Gearloose, and I represent McDuck Enterprises.  It’s a pleasure to meet you._

Gyro looked back to the old man who had folded his hands atop his desk.

“I used to need them to get through business meetings and the like.  After all, my background didn’t exactly afford me the luxury of regular practice in the social niceties that were expected in wealthy circles.  I’ve gotten into the rhythm of what to say in certain situations—plus I'm old and rich enough to periodically use the ‘eccentric' card to get a pass when I fluff it—so I haven’t had to look at my ‘cheat sheets’ in ages.”  Mr. McDuck seemed to deflate just a bit as he added softly, “Especially given I don’t go out so much anymore.”

“You’re… _not_ …firing me?” Gyro stammered, bewildered.  His hands clutched the cards tightly.

“You’re the most brilliant mind I’ve ever met.  I can’t say I appreciated having to soothe the board’s ruffled feathers, but I’m not going to throw you out just because you snapped at them when you got frustrated.  You’re too valuable for that.  I _do_ want you to work on it, write out your own cards for situations these don’t cover.  You don’t have to give presentations to anyone but me that often, lad, but you will have to do so on occasion.  Those cards should help when that happens.”

The young scientist felt his eyes stinging, and he rapidly blinked to try not to break down in front of his boss.  He swallowed, but his voice still cracked when he spoke: “Thank you, sir.  You have no idea what this means to me.”

Mr. McDuck nodded and waved him towards the elevator.

Gyro retreated, periodically glancing back over his shoulder at the old man who made eye contact with nothing but his re-folded hands atop the desk.  He stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button for the lab.

Hot tears slipped down his face as he realized he needed to unpack his things when he got back to his desk, relief flooding his system.  He reached up to wipe them away, looking back down at the well-worn index cards and making a mental note to buy new cards and a pen when he left for the day.

He was going to prove to Mr. McDuck that his trust was more than worth it.


End file.
